Private Guitar, Banjo, and Ukulele Lessons for Asheville and Online

Interested in taking guitar, banjo, or ukulele​ lessons? I'm available for private lessons on guitar, banjo, or ukulele in person in the Asheville area, at the Academy for the Arts, or online. While my expertise lies in bluegrass flatpicking, Travis picking, and delta and country blues fingerpicking, I also love teaching electric blues and rock guitar. I teach all ages and levels, priding myself on my ability to help adult students get "unstuck" and younger students have fun! Please use the contact form to request more information.

Student Reviews

"Incredibly talented, patient, highly encouraging and immensely responsible are some of the compliments I could note about Tim. He was and remains to be the absolute best guitar instructor I could have found for my daughter. I had previously been told by others that perhaps my daughter was too young to start lessons, she was just 8 so with some hesitation, I started her with lessons. Within minutes, she was already strumming the guitar and her enthusiasm to continue was fantastic. Tim worked closely with her to carve out the lessons, the music and the notes she would learn that most engaged her and I am proud to say two years later, we are still learning with Tim, at my daughters request! Her progress has been a delight to watch and I am so grateful he was able to share his love of music with my daughter." - Erika K., Parent

"I took guitar lessons from Tim for about six months before he relocated to Asheville. I was a beginner, and somewhat apprehensive, but found the process to be absolutely wonderful! Tim structures lessons to fit the abilities of the student, and every lesson leads the student forward in manageable steps. He continues to offer advice and encouragement from Asheville." - Charlie H., Guitar Student

"​I have come so far in just a short period of time. Tim has been extremely patient with me and he is a wonderful teacher. I really didn't think online classes would work for me, however it has been an amazing experience." - Sherry, Banjo Student

"Tim is an excellent instructor and skilled musician. He is extremely patient, has the ability to explain and teach at the level needed, and is invested in his student's success. Tim’s passion, dedication, and love of music show through in his teaching and his playing. Highly Recommend!" - Kim M., Parent

"Tim made my guitar lessons something I looked forward to every week. He was patient and allowed me to focus on the areas that I wanted to (strumming patterns, songs I wanted to learn, etc.) He gave great feedback and was very helpful in teaching the basics, which is what I needed. Tim is an exceptional musician and I learned a lot from my lessons with him!" - Blair M., Guitar Student

"I've taken lessons from a number of instructors on several different instruments over the years and can say without a doubt that Tim is the best teacher I've ever had. He is as knowledgeable as they come on the subjects of acoustic guitar, Americana music, banjo, and just music in general, and puts this wealth of knowledge to work in figuring out how to bring the most out of a student. He patiently and intelligently worked through whatever challenges I was dealing with, and helped me grow in my playing and in my understanding of the musical concepts that we worked on. He explains things clearly and succinctly, and demonstrates everything in a very clear way. On the whole, he was a great instructor and one that I continue to be grateful to for everything that he contributed to my growth as a musician." - Oleg T., Student

Frequently Asked Questions

What are your rates?For private lessons at my home studio and for online lessons, I charge $50 for an hour lesson and $25 for a half-hour lesson. Visit the Academy for the Arts website for more information on their policies. For lessons in a student’s home, my base rate is still $50/$25, but is subject to change depending on student location.

Do you teach children?Yes! I love teaching kids and teenagers interested in music the guitar, banjo, or ukulele; whether they are just starting out or are trying to give lessons another go. In fact, about 80% of my student roster at the Academy for the Arts is made up of K-8 graders. When teaching younger students, I try to make each lesson as fun as possible, tailoring lessons to the individual student's interests and needs. While I do teach some younger students at my home studio, I highly encourage parents to enroll interested children into the Academy for the Arts, as we offer performance opportunities, group lessons, and opportunities to play music with other children their age.

Do you teach adults?Of course! I love teaching adults who are trying music for the first time, a new instrument, or feel like taking the plunge into professional music lessons. Like with my younger students, I tailor each lesson to individual student goals, interests, and needs. My main goal for any student is to have them truly understand their instrument, whether that be the guitar, banjo, or ukulele. For example, instead of just memorizing the tablature of a favorite blues or rock guitar solo, a flatpicking guitar fiddle tune, a fingerpicking technique, or a cool chord progression, the goal is for a student to be able to know why that favorite solo is arranged the way it is, how an artist developed that fingerpicking technique, and why that cool chord progressions sounds so good! If a student can answer the "why?" question, then they can start truly understanding their instrument, allowing them to fully express themselves.

How do online lessons work?For online lessons, I use either Skype or FaceTime.Students decide if they want a hour long lesson, or a half-hour lesson and we arrange a time. I will email the tablature or notes for the lesson the day of, so we can look at it together during the lesson. ​What kind of guitar do you teach?I teach all kinds of guitar! With acoustic guitar, I tend to focus on flatpicking, and/or fingerpicking, depending on what interests a student the most. While my favorite kind of playing deals with the acoustic guitar, I teach plenty of electric blues and rock lessons. No matter what style you're interested in, there are core fundamentals that I cover that apply to every genre. Examples of those fundamentals include: how to embellish chord progressions, advanced rhythm techniques in order to move away from the same strum pattern for every song, how to connect scales, the CAGED system, how to use modes, how to solo over chord progressions, etc....

What kind of banjo do you teach?I teach all kinds of banjo! Whether you're interested in clawhammer or three-finger, Scruggs-style bluegrass picking, I'd love to help you reach your musical goals! As with the guitar, my main goal for any student is to have them truly understand their instrument. If a student can answer "why" they play a song the way they do, instead of just memorizing tablature, then we can really start to create our own sound with the instrument. Music is a great way to express ourselves, and that is what I want to help students do most of all!